WEBVTT SOLEDAD: WELCOME BACK TO "MATTEROF FACT."IN POLITICS, IT'S ALL ABOUTPOWER.WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT, WHO'SSPENDING THE MONEY.THERE'S MORE THAN 2,000REGISTERED PACS, OR POLITICALACTION COMMITTEES, AND THEY HAVERAISED $1.6 BILLION JUST FORTHIS ELECTION CYCLNOW THERE'S A NEW PLAYER ON THEPAC SCENE.IT'S CREATED, ORGANIZED, ANDMANAGED BY A GROUP PORTRAYED BSOME AS SUBSERVIENT.THE AMERICAN MUSLIM WOMEN PAC , TH SAY, COMMITTED TO MAKINGCHANGE THROUGH ELECTING LEADERSWHO WILL REPRESENT THEIRINTERESTS.HERE'S "MATTER OF FACT"CORRESPONDENT DIANE ROBERTS.DIAN MEET MIRRIAM SEDDIQ, ANIMMIGRATION AND CRIMINAL DEFENSELAWYER, AND FOUNDER OF THEAMERICAN MUSLIM WOMEN PAC.MIRRIAM: WE'RE NOT ABOUT MAKINGYOU FEEL GOOD THAT WE'RE HERWE'RE GOOD IMMIGRANTS, GOODMUSLIMS.THIS IS A POLITICAL ACTIONCOMMITTEDIANE: SEDDIQ IS VERY DIRECTABOUT THEIR MISSION.MIRRIA WE WANT TO SUPPORTCANDIDATES WHOUNDERSTAND THE CONTRIBUTION WEMAKE TO THIS COUNTRY.DIAN BORN IN AFGHANISTAN,SEDDIQ WASN'T RAISED INTRADITIONALLY CULTURAL MUSLIMWAYS.SHE RARELY SAW A WOMAN IN HIJABIN HER HOME.HER FAMILY CAME TO THIS COUNTRYWHEN SHE WAS JUST TWO.THE NATURALIZED AMERICAN CITIZENADMITS SHE WAS SO DISILLUSIONEDWITH THE MAJOR PRESIDENTIALCANDIDATES THIS ELECTION YEAR,SHE WASN'T GOING TO VOTE AT ALL,UNTIL THIS>> HE SACRIFICED H LIFE TOSAVE THE LIVES OF HIS FELLOWSOLDIERS.DIAN AFTER KHIZR KHAN SPOKE ATTHE DEMOCRATIC NATIONCONVENTION ABOUT HIS ARMY SONKILLED IN COMBAT.DONALD TRUMP COMMENTED ABOHIS WIF SUGGESTING, "SHE HADNOTHING TO SAY.MAYBE SHE WASN'T ALLOWED TO HAVEANYTHING T SAY." MIRRIA I WANTED TO SAY WHAT DOYOU MEAN ARE WE ALLOWED TOSPEAK, YES, WE'RE GONNA SPEAK.DIANE: A MOTHER OF TWIN BOYS,SHE SPEAKS UP FOR HER SONS WHOCLASSMATES SAID DISPARAGINGTHINGS ABOUT THE MOTHER.MIRRIAM: ONE OF MY KIDS CAMEHOME FROM SCHOOL AND SAID SOMEKID SAID YOUR MOTHER IS ATERRORIST.AND IT WAS SHOCKING TO MEBECAUSE WE LIVE IN A VERYDIVERSE NEIGHBORHOOD IN NORTHERNVIRGINIA.DIANE: SHE SAYS ODDLY, OTHERSDON'T EVEN REALIZE SHE'S MUSLIM.MIRRIAM: I DON'T LOOK LIKE THEYEXPECT ME TO LOOTHE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUTMUSLIM WOMEN IS WE ARE DIFFERENTFROM OTHER WOMEN.THAT WE DON'T BELIEVE INFEMINISM, FOR EXAMPLE.HEALTHCARE IS HUGE, CHILDCARE ISHUGETHESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT ISSUESFOR MUSLIM WOMEN, TOO.DIANE: AND LIKE MANY PEOPLEAROUND THE WORLD, THEY TOOCONDEMN TERRORISM.MIRRIAM: FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLEWILL FREQUENTLY SAY MODERATEMUSLIMS DON'T SPEAK OUT AGAINSTEXTREMISTS.WE DMILLIONS OF US, MILLIONS OF USSPEAK OUT EVERY DAY.DIANE: SEDDIQ SAYS HER PAC MAYHAVE STARTED WITH THIS ELECTIONCYCLE, BUT SHE HOPES ITSTRENGTHENS THE CAUSE OFAMERICAN MUSLIM WOMEN FOR YEARSTO COME.IN WASHINGTON, DIANE ROBERTSSOLEDAD: THE AMERICAN MUSLIMWOMEN PAC HAS BEEN AROUND FORABOUT TWO WEEKS.THEY'VE RAISED A FEW THOUSANDDOLLARS, BUT SAY THEY HOPE TBRING IN MILLIONS FOR AD BUYSAND A VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE.SO WHO WILL THAT BENEFIT?PROBABLY THE DEMOCRATS,ACCORDING TO PEW RESEARCTHEIR POLLING SHOWS 70% OF THE3.3 MILLION AMERICAN MUSLIMS

“A lot of us who have been sleeping, we’re not anymore. A lot of us who assumed we were living in a post-racial America realize that we don’t and it’s gotten us galvanized.”

Seddiq wasn’t planning to vote in this election year, disillusioned by both polarizing candidates Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. Then she saw Trump’s reaction to Captain Humayun Khan’s parents, Khizr and Ghazala, at the Democratic convention.

Speaking to George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s "This Week,” Trump remarked on Ghazala Khan’s silence saying, “If you look at his wife, she was standing there, she had nothing to say, she probably — maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say, you tell me.”

Seddiq’s response? "I wanted to say what do you mean are we allowed to speak? Yes, we're going to speak."

She was inspired to create a new Political Action Committee, the American Muslim Women PAC, which is looking to effect change by setting up local voter registration drives. The PAC, only two-weeks old, has raised a few thousand dollars, but aims to bring in millions for ad buys. The PAC will also promote candidates that will represent their interests.